| HEADMASTER'S MESSAGE | |
 In this week's Torah portion of Vayishlach, we find Ya'akov Avinu, the Patriarch Jacob, preparing for an encounter with his brother, Eisav. The Torah tells us that Ya'akov was, "very frightened and he was troubled" about the meeting with Eisav. Rashi explains that Ya'akov was "frightened" of being killed and "troubled" by the prospect of having to kill someone else, i.e. Eisav. It is not surprising that Ya'akov was afraid about being killed, but why was he at all disturbed about possibly having to kill Eisav. Obviously, it would be a case of self-defense and completely justified. Herein lies a profound lesson. The Torah puts the highest value on human life. It is considered a terrible tragedy to take a life, even in cases where it is absolutely legitimate. Judaism commands us to defend ourselves, and to use lethal force if necessary. However, we must never glorify or celebrate the use of violence. Our tradition teaches us to celebrate life and always strive for peace. The Talmud goes so far as to say that if a person merely hits another individual, he or she is to be considered a rasha, a wicked person. This is the Torah's zero tolerance policy for violence.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Zvi Kahn
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CTA SCHOLARSHIP DINNER IS FINALLY HERE!
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After months of planning, THE EVENT has arrived. On Sunday evening, the Columbus community will come together to celebrate the importance of Jewish day school education and the future success of Columbus Torah Academy at the Annual Scholarship Dinner. Our honoree for the evening is Mrs. Sonia Modes Schottenstein, the benefactor of the Rose and Joseph Modes Music Room at Columbus Torah Academy and a true friend to CTA. The Committee has been hard at work creating a successful Tribute Journal and a wonderful evening. Special features include our fabulous Lower School Choir and the Sonia Modes Trio.
A major feature of the evening will be the expanded Silent and Student Artwork Auction which features beautiful pieces created by CTA students that are wonderful keepsakes or great items as gifts. Please check out all the items as listed in Dateline and view them at http://flic.kr/s/aHsjCJQYhn. In addition, you will find a variety of gift cards, jewelry, sports and entertainment tickets and prize packages that will satisfy everyone AND, the proceeds go directly to support our school. If you are not attending the dinner, please find someone to bid for you. You definitely don't want to miss out!
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, Chief Rabbi of Efrat, will be our guest speaker at the Scholarship Dinner. We are also fortunate to have him spend time on Friday morning with our High School students. His insight and knowledge about strengthening Jewish communities and about life in Israel will be inspiring.
See you Sunday! It will be an evening of celebration that you won't want to miss!
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Sunday, December 2: CTA Scholarship Dinner, Hyatt Regency,
5:30 pm
Monday, December 3: Macaroni & Cheese-Volunteer: Y. Levi
Tuesday, December 4: Hamburgers-Volunteer: L. Hoffman
Wednesday, December 5: Pizza-Volunteer: L. Polster
11th Grade College Night, 7:30 pm
Thursday, December 6: Sloppy Joe-Volunteer: L. Schottenstein
Friday, December 7: Tuna-Volunteer: P. Schiff
Mid 2nd Quarter
Spirit Day - Wear your CTA polo shirt
2:00 pm Dismissal
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Monday, December 10: Executive Board Meeting, 7:30 pm
Wednesday, December 12: Chanukah Program, Grades K-4, 9:30 am
Thursday, December 13: 5th Grade Play, "The Maccabim," 6th Grade Play, "Hanukkah Money," 10 am, Shul
Friday, December 14: Chanukah Carnival, Grades K-6, 9-11 am
Sunday, December 16: Shwarma Night: Girls' Basketball Team Fundraiser, Ahavas Sholom, 6-8 pm
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It's Basketball Season!
Monday, Dec. 3
HOME vs. Genoa Christian
MSG, 5 pm
MSB, 6:15 pm
Tuesday, Dec. 4
HOME vs. Patriot Prep
VG, 5:30 pm
vs. FCI Academy
VB, 7:00 pm
Thursday, Dec. 6
HOME vs. Gahanna Christian
VB, 5:00 pm
vs. FCI Academy
VG, 6:30 pm
AWAY vs. Polaris Christian
MSG, 5:00 pm
MSB, 6:15 pm
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SCRIP UPDATE - PLACES TO PURCHASE SCRIP
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CTA Scrip Office, 864-0299 ext. 112
Monday-Thursday- 7:30am-4pm; Friday- 7:30am-1:30pm
The Scrip Office keeps a variety of available scrip on hand. Special order scrip from hundreds of stores is available by sending your request to scrip@torahacademy.org. To see a complete selection of all of the Scrip choices, go to www.glscrip.com. To benefit CTA with online purchases, register at www.iGive.com.
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"I heard through the Grapevine..." Volunteer time is worth $25/hr and goes towards your annual Give & Get commitment of $2,000 per family! Please email Kim Abelman at Kimabel3@gmail.com for more information.
ALSO: With the Holidays just around the corner, don't forget to purchase scrip for holiday gifts for teachers, bus drivers, secretaries, mailmen, etc. We have Graeters, Starbucks, Barnes & Noble gift cards at the front desk in $10 increments! And, Walmart, Old Navy, Kohl's, JC Penney, Meijer too! And, how wrong can you go with Bed Bath & Beyond gift cards, too? Please visit GLscrip.com to see available participating retailers! Any special orders can be ordered by Lesa but we need to put these in early! AND, don't forget to use scrip gift cards for upcoming bar and bat mitzvahs! If you purchased scrip, PLEASE email Kim to let her know so we can thank you here, but also share your purchase as a reminder and idea for others!
Reminder about our NEW Call & Deliver Program for Scrip. Email scrip@torahacademy.org or call 864-0299 to order scrip and we can have it delivered to your home.
The Give & Get (G&G) Commitment for 2012-2013 is $2,000 per family. G&G is fulfilled through donations, Scrip purchases, solicitations & volunteering. The weekly G&G Grapevine gives you ideas of how to easily do your part. Send a record of all G&G volunteer hours to gandg@torahacademy.org.
If you would like to volunteer, contact Volunteer Coordinator, Kim Abelman, at 855-5195 or kimabel3@gmail.com. Volunteer time is worth $25 per hour towards Give & Get.
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NEWS FROM THE LOWER SCHOOL JUDAIC STUDIES DEPARTMENT
By Dror Karavani, Lower School Judaic Studies Coordinator | |
Z'man Nakat - The Order of the Mishna with the Fifth Graders: As part of our elementary Mishna curriculum, the fifth graders in Rabbi Hauser's class had fun creating new ways to display the structure and names of the various sections of the Mishnah. Students used their imaginations, their drawings and computer skills to design the six orders of the Mishnah to look like books, cities, or even shapes of the different Mitzvot contained in each order. These skills are very important to our children in order to help them understand Jewish Law and connect it to their Jewish identity. Everyone took great pride in their creativity!
 The Spirit of Chanukah is in the Air: Throughout the grades, the students continue reviewing and preparing for Chanukah. In Kindergarten with Morah Aronowitz, the students made their chanukiot, practiced singing the brachot of the chanukiah, and went on a special "hunt" around the school, searching for the missing little, "Kod Katan," which the children will use to "light" their menorah. In Kittah Alef with Morah Irit, the students drew, wrote, and read the story of the Maccabim, all in Hebrew. In addition, a Chanukah activity center, including a card and matching game and group discussion has been extended outside of the classrooms to reinforce the concepts which the students have learned. Shabbat Shalom!
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SAY IT IN HEBREW
By Galit Golan, Hebrew Language Coordinator
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 Last Friday, the high school students celebrated Rosh Chodesh Kislev during Shishi Ivrit, our monthly Hebrew Award Ceremony. The students also watched a Power Point presentation about the situation in Israel and sang Hebrew songs. As part of the program, awards were given to students who excelled in their Hebrew studies during the month of Cheshvan. The teachers had a hard time choosing the awardees among many excellent students.
Moreh David Adar awarded Shoshana Ginsburg and Rebecca Portman for excellence in Achievements. Morah Kelly Adar awarded Bradley Rosenstein for excellence in Hebrew studies. Morah Galit Golan awarded Josh Wolf for effort and Derch Eretz. Mazal Tov and Yishar Koach to all our students!
 On a different note, the situation in Israel was discussed in the different classes, and we all, of course prayed for Shalom in Israel. In order to show solidarity with the citizens of Israel, CTA students and teachers wore red shirts last Tuesday. The symbolism behind this is that when a missile is expected to hit a certain area, the authorities in Israel issue a special alarm called "Color Red" and this alerts people to find shelter. Here are pictures of the 1st and 3rd grades and high school wearing red shirts. Shabbat Shalom!
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ON THE UP & UP:
NEWS FROM THE UPPER SCHOOL JUDAIC STUDIES DEPARTMENT
By Rabbi Zecharia Weitz, Upper School Judaic Studies Coordinator
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 CONNECTING ACADEMICS WITH LIFE
An essential component of Torah education is carrying the information we learn into real life practice. While we all actualize this lifestyle numerous times any given day, sometimes there are those earth-shattering events that call for a collective response. Between Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast and Operation Pillar of Defense in Eretz Yiroel, the time came for us to act on our ideals of chessed and mercy.
In the Upper School, two separate initiatives have been organized to unify our efforts: During his brief visit to Columbus, Rabbi Tuly Weisz (Rabbi Emeritus of Beth Jacob) offered to bring a full suitcase of non-perishables back to Eretz Yisroel with for those who lost homes in rocket attacks. A large bag was used to collect items brought in by Upper School students and faculty. This, in addition to the special davening efforts, helped us empathize and connect with our brothers in Israel.
As for the victims of Hurricane Sandy, members of our High School Student Counsel, to be joined by the Jr. High Student Counsel, will be collecting Chanukah gifts donated by students to be distributed to those who lost homes in Sandy's devastation; details pending.
It is our vision that utilizing these teachable moments will produce community leaders that will continue to respond to events around them with the Torah perspective and sensitivity they gained at CTA.
Food for Thought: To commemorate the injured Gid HaNasheh (sciatic nerve) that Yaakov sustained in battling Eisav's angel, Jews for the duration of history do not eat the Gid HaNasheh of any kosher animal. It was Yaakov who got injured, not a cow that got eaten; how is this an appropriate commemoration?
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| 5th GRADERS LEARN HOW TO KEEP THEIR COMMUNITY BEAUTIFUL |
On Friday, November 16, the 5th grade welcomed Mr. Law from the City of Columbus' "Keep Columbus Beautiful" program to extend our learning about natural resources, conservation and recycling. He told us about litter prevention and "The Four R's" - reducing, reusing, recycling and rethinking. Mr. Law was pleased to hear about our own recycling program here at CTA and was impressed with how much our students knew about saving our environment. For more information about the program, you can call 645.2421.
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MAZAL TOV TO:
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Josh Pollack, Upper School Jewish History and World History teacher, on
the birth of a daughter
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| CONDOLENCES TO: |
Mrs. Barbara Flox, Martin Flox (8th Grade Class of '72), Brian Flox (8th
Grade Class of '74), and Mrs. Blanche Young upon the loss of husband,
father and brother, Irvin Flox
Mr. and Mrs. Martin Hoffman upon the loss of his sister-in-law Evelyn
Hoffman
Jeremy Hershfield (8th Grade Class of '88) and Jessica (Hershfield)
Malamuth (8th Grade Class of '91) upon the loss of their grandmother
Leah Hershfield
Kim Osborne, Michael (Class of '11), Rachel (8th Grade Class of '10) and
Sammy on the loss of mother and grandmother, Freida Weisman
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| PRE-COLLEGE WORKSHOP |
On Monday November 19, the 9th and 10th graders had their Pre-College Workshop with Mrs. Delman. The students brought their lunches and learned the basics of college admissions. This event is thoughtfully timed to occur right after the first report cards come out in the Fall. The students view sample transcripts and learn how their high school grades eventually become the focus of their college applications in the Fall of 12th grade. CTA is a college prep high school; preparing our students for college is a primary goal of the General Studies curriculum.
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| TORAH ACADEMY BASKETBALL TEAMS OUT TO A FAST START |
SWISH.... SWISH... SWISH... The fans at Torah Academy have been hearing a lot of that to start the season for Lions Basketball. The Varsity Boys are 2-0 after convincing wins over Licking County Christian and conference foe Mount Vernon Academy. The key to their early success has been their senior leadership. They are led by four starting seniors: Aaron Polster, Max Herszage, Alec Salutsky, and Cody Parks. The Varsity Girls also have strong potential. Even though they are 0-1 they have been running the offense efficiently and getting open shots. Seniors Sarah Nutis and Esther Geiger will look for the help of juniors Ellie Chase, Alyssa Karmia, Shoshana Ginsburg and Aleeza Hartstein to fuel the Lions success. Freshman Hava Parks has been a force on the offensive boards keeping opportunities alive for the Lady Lions.
The Middle School Lions have also started the season impressively! The boys and girls are a combined 3-1. The girls won 20-13 over Licking County Christian and 28-8 over Liberty Christian East on Tuesday. A strong 8th grade class is leading the charge. They are Molly Cohen, Shayna Herszage, Sivan Import, Julie Chase, and Gabby Schottenstein. The middle school boys dropped their opener to Licking County Christian, but came back strong with a 23-15 home opener victory over Liberty Christian East. The Lions are led by 8th graders Shmuel Kahn, Ioni Wolfson, Yaakov Metz, and Ohad Karavani. KEEP IT GOING LIONS!!!!
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| ROCHEL KALTMANN IS JR. HIGH MENTSCH OF THE MONTH |
Congratulations to Rochel Kaltmann, 7th grader, for being chosen as Mentsch of the Month for Tishrei. The Mentsch of the Month is chosen each month in the Junior High by the teachers in recognition of outstanding character traits and behavior. Other nominees for Tishrei include: Avior Hazan, Julie Chase, Shachar Razker, Dasha Kuperberg, Yaakov Metz, Shayna Herszage, Rosie Kalef, Leah Ackerman, Rena Kahn, Shoshie Wasserman, Josh Needleman. Each month's Mentsch finalist receives a certificate and a gift card to Barnes and Noble. All nominees receive a treat from Rabbi Kahn.
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| ART TEACHER AMY NEIWIRTH TO SHOW PAINTINGS & JEWELRY |
CTA Art Teacher Amy Neiwirth will be exhibiting her paintings this weekend for Holiday Hop this Saturday night and throughout the month of December at two galleries in the Short North. Check out her new work as part of two group art shows at Ray's Living Room (17 E. Brickel St.) and at Roy G Biv Gallery (997 N. High St.). Ms. Neiwirth will also be selling her handmade jewelry at a holiday trunk show at Celebrate Local, a wonderful store selling Ohio-made goods in Easton Town Center. Come shop at this special event on Thursday evening, December 6 from 6-9 pm. Celebrate Local is located at 4030 The Strand East - right near American Eagle & Kay Jewelers.
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| TZEDAKAH |
It has been a time-honored Jewish tradition to give tzedakah in recognition of important events. Todah Rabah to the following for their donation:
To all of the following to the Scholarship Fund in memory of Leah Hershfield:
Steve and Jennifer Siegel Paul and Judith Putzel
Chuck and Dora Kopp Marissa Smith
Marc and Margery Hollander Bob and Betsey Lane
Herb and Dee Dee Glimcher Barton and Vivian Friedman
Irv and Marcia Baker Gary and Judith Swedlow
Gary Liebesman and Stacy Leeman in memory of Irv Flox
Paul and Karan Tanenbaum in memory of Monica Calabrese's father, Rafe
Wenger's father, Leah Hershfield, and Irvin Flox
Seth and Leslie Hoffman in memory of Leah Hershfield and Irv Flox
Florence Cabakoff in memory of Leah Hershfield and Irv Flox
Todd and Eliza Delman in memory of Gittel bat Naftali Hertz
Marvin and Anne Bonowitz in memory Irvin Flox
Gary Liebesman and Stacy Leeman in memory of Tina Rice's mother
Tod and Cheri Friedman in memory of Irv Flox and Leah Hershfield
Jeremy and Liz Kalef in appreciation of Rabbi Kahn
To the Annual Giving Fund:
Yale and Lauren Levy in memory of Christopher Ferdelman and wishing a speedy recovery to Heather Goodman
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| RUNNING FOR A CAUSE |
Shoshana Ginsburg is running the ING half-marathon for Team Yachad. Yachad is part of the Orthodox Union. It is a tzedakah for helping people with disabilities. If you would like to make a tax deductible donation for this worthy cause, please contact Shoshana at 237-8181, or to donate on-line, go to www.teamyachad.com, click on Miami and type in Shoshana Ginsburg under "Sponsor a Runner."
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BASKETBALL WEEKLY SCHEDULE
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HANUKKAH LIGHTS IN THE BIG SKY
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| COMMUNITY NEWS |
Family Day at the J: December 25, 10:30 am - 3:00 pm - Arts and crafts, carnival games, hot dog lunch ($5.00) and a G-rated movie. Admission is FREE, however, it is requested that each family bring a canned good to be donated to Jewish Family Services. For more information, contact the JCC.
Give the gift of fitness for Chanukah: The JCC would like to invite the families of Columbus Torah Academy to join the JCC during the month of December (or give a gift of a JCC membership) and receive $50 off the annual JCC membership. Contact JCC Membership Services at 559-6227 or 559-6229 for additional information.
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1. What sort of messengers to Yaakov send to Esav?
a. Angels.
2. Why was Yaakov both "afraid" and "distressed?"
a. He was afraid he would be killed. He was distressed that he would have to kill.
3. In what three ways did Yaakov prepare for his encounter with Esav?
a. He sent gifts, he prayed, and he prepared for war.
4. Where did Dina hide and why?
a. Yaakov hid her in a chest so that Esav wouldn't see her and want to marry her.
5. After helping his family across the river, Yaakov remained alone on the other side. Why?
a. He went back to get some small containers he had forgotten.
6. What was the angel forced to do before Yaakov agreed to release him?
a. Admit that the blessings given by Yitzchak rightfully belong to Yaakov.
7. What was it that healed Yaakov's leg?
a. The shining of the sun.
8. Why did Esav embrace Yaakov?
a. His pity was aroused when he saw Yaakov bowing to him so many times.
(Parsha Vayishlach Quiz originally appeared on the
Ohr Somayach website, www.ohr.edu)
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As part of our partnership with the Shiloh school in Israel, we will be receiving riddles each week relating to the Parasha. You will notice this each week on this back page. The goal is to have the parents and children discuss the parasha, while trying to figure out the connection between the picture and the parasha. All answered riddles should be given to the Judaic teacher on Monday. The names of the winners will be announced and sent to our friends in Israel.
What is the connection between the picture and the parasha? Look in Chapter 35, Verse 19. You will find the answer there.
 The winner of last week's riddle is Lila Gisser.
Moreh Dror Karavani will collect all of the submitted answers, put them into a box, and save them for the big raffle! You will hear more about this very soon. Keep your answers coming.
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